…Continued from Tin Tee…..it seems that I still cannot cook! (;´□｀)

My approach to life is to never take yourself too seriously and always try to do the best with what life has handed you….in my case all taken very very lightly!

~Warning!: This gets sillier and sillier by the word and it’s not too late to turn back and stop reading.~ =)

Kyaaaaa!..but today is a much much better day it seems although @ the moment~* I look as if I was were caught in a Hawaiian windstorm or perhaps I’ve just taken a shower and then have forgotten to brush my hair properly..(・_・). Either way I look a mess~!…it’s not an uncommon sight if you live with me and you so don’t want any of that unless you enjoy waiting endlessly outside of our one and only bathroom while I……….try to make myself look decent before leaving the house…a task much too difficult to achieve I’m afraid but I do try and try…and try, to no avail as the male population here has made me very aware of! (;´□｀)

And why do we put forth so much effort into *this* as I recently learned that (most?) males don’t even look above our shoulders it seems?…and um Henkka “remains” as the “official” spokesperson for male~kind in my book, maybe there is hope still for something much much sweeter♥~.

“Batsu” (“penalty”) games have been a favorite of my friends but this time it was so different as it involved “skills” or in my case a lack of such things in the kitchen~! XD I’ll be the very first one to warn any man that I cannot cannot I repeat cannot cook very well! (>_<);….but yet recently you’ve maybe heard of my attempts at learning and there’s been some (progress) made I think…..I hope………..I’m still horrible arent’ I?! (゜Д゜;) If my “future” husband can only look forward to the occasional crepe for breakfast, lunch…….and dinner???? surely that won’t work out! (;´□｀)

So I unwittingly agreed to a friend’s “challenge”……..or in hindsight was it really inevitable torture to come for me? But with my recent spicy curry fried rice turning out quite well I did like my chances. XD

The rules: simple…..and I thought it was to my advantage that my very best friend would be judging~! ＼(^o^)／☆….so not the case though!..(._.;). Whomever made the tastier and more well received dish would win~! ^o^ So I thought chili would be easy right?……..well………..(*sigh*)..(*´艸`)……..not a very good idea as it turned out. 😦 So we both made chili dishes but mines turned out to be some sort of overly watery *thing* which was deemed not only awful but not spicy at all. (;_;)?!! I swear that I used the right proportions of ingredients!!!!……I’m such a failure although I “knew” in my ~♥~ that my very very best friend in the entire world would choose me in spite of this!….right???……right??…….right?…………ne~………….??? :o, (;゜□゜)! Nope~. 😦

Instead of “helping” me she said that rather than that of actual food it tasted like and I quote~:………..”something that my little brother made with his Playdoh playset”…”only that I probably would have enjoyed his concoction much more”….~end quote. (*≧∀≦)☆★

Hence…..not only did I lose badly but I then needed to wear some thingy*  ・゜・(ノД`)・゜・。 I have some friends at work…oh dear I cannot remember what they’re trying to catch but I know you need to register to fish and whomever in their group of guys (guys only allowed) catches the least amount of fish, he must then wear the “dreaded” pink T-shirt for the entire fishing trip the next time……so this said pink T has been handed down from sad generation to sad……”minimal fish catching guy”..XD I can only imagine what this T-shirt may look like by now….or smell like by now..(._.;). “Luckily” my only punishment for losing was having to wear and then have a photo taken…still! 😦 And now I feel like Minnie Mouse…..only not cute) (;´□｀). But it does beat noni juice or being made to stand out on a balcony up high! XD However I did need to wear it for the rest of the day……….not good if you’re planning to go out anywhere and I got a few odd stares at times.

….and I’m still in shock that my most most best friend in the world wouldn’t choose me regardless if I still cannot cook very well……then again this is the very same best friend whom loves to “torture” me with tickle attacks as she has oddly touched more of me over the years since we were in early grade school than any other person has..(._.;).

Fukakyon…..for Yatterman, for your surreal dreams…(u_u*).

深田恭子

Fukada Kyoko "Kyoko Tokyo Pin-Up Girl" shashinshuu

The word "idol" alone brings to mind instantly one of Japan's most accomplished in the business….Fukakyon (深田恭子) over the years has cornered just about every aspect, that being as an actress in movies, dramas, singer, musician, model, CM favorite, and her appeal has long translated Internationally as well.

~In movies and t.v. dramas a few personal favorites include: "Shimotsuma Monogatari", "Otoosan", "Fighting Girl", "To Heart~koishite shinitai~", "Friends" and "Strawberry on the Shortcake."~

In music♪♪, albeit brief I was able to collect her complete discography over a short span where she explored her musical side. Fukakyon also notably is an impressive pianist and perhaps one day she'll find her way back to a music career where this talent of hers will be further explored…I sure do hope~.

他の写真集 scans:

福留佑子。。。写真集

平野綾。。。写真集　”Girlfriend"

色々な写真集。。。

Fukakyon as Yatterman’s character "Doronjo"

Well Arashi's Shokun shouldn't be the only one to have a bit of fun with their very own shashinshuu dedicated to the visuals of Yatterman…….so here's just a taste of what you can expect from Fukakyon's tribute of sorts to Yatterman and then beyond…

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A portion of the shashinshuu is strictly dedicated to her character "Doronjo" where Fukakyon's wardrobe is as wickedly delicious as they come!…including a central gatefold four page fold-out.

However much of the fun, creativity and beauty of "Kyoko Tokyo Pin-Up Girl" lies in the expansion upon character idealisms where seemingly everyday scenery is found playfully blurring the lines of reality in bits with Fukakyon's self expression taking on a stream of dreamlike roles. For the most part though I stuck with scanning the cute photography shamelessly here…(^q^), and therefore I've left most of the surreal photography for you yet to explore if perhaps you purchase her shashinshuu…..

Fukada Kyoko's "Kyoko Tokyo Pin-Up Girl" can be ordered here at Amazon Japan.

Fukada Kyoko's "Kyoko Tokyo Pin-Up Girl" can be ordered here at YesAsia.

For anyone who's familiar with Fukakyon's history as an idol's life transitioned into stardom the following sentiment may likely be shared: As an "it girl" for a generation, Fukakyon's very being…in personal character, emotions, poise and physical beauty is one of Japan's most to be embraced by this generation and beyond. ………(゜∀゜)………。

The noted costumes & outfits wardrobe reads impressively as well: FRABOIS, Topshop, agnis b., JEANNE VALET, TAGO, ALCATROCK, DRESSCAMP,EMPORIO ARMANI, DelilaH, DONNA KARAN NEW YORK, DANNO, Sergio Rossi, Christofle, Vivienne Westwood Accesories, Reem, le coq sportif, NIKE, FRANQUEENSENSE, LUNETTES DU JURA petit, Corrida corset, RONALD PINEAU and the list goes on…~

Please enjoy the scans~!…she's just so perfectly beautiful! ＾　＾ (watch for the photos in which shadow manipulation is wonderfully at work here!)

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…and some of these photos are extremely *sexy* which really caught me by surpise in the sense that even in her younger "idol" days Fukakyon never really took to the whole bikini idol genre, appearing sparingly this way for someone of her stature even back then. And once her career really took off which didn't take very long~!…..Fukakyon much like her fellow idol/actress Yada Akiko appeared in magazine layouts more along the lines of a stylish fashion model in terms of wardrobe choices ^ ^………..

…so here we see Fukakyon in a somewhat rare light~

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(*shadow*)

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…Imagine one day you're driving along this purple bridge and there you see Fukakyon to the side~…wait! where is this purple bridge located? (the person in that car in the center is having a look~ =) ).

~bye bye~

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嵐 “Believe”

Arashi "Believe"

Arashi "Believe"/ Kumori nochi, kaisei" LE (type A) & RE singles

Releases such as these inspires one to wish that all singles could grow up to be double A-sides~♪♪! Arashi returns with yet another chart topping single breaking the 500,000 sales mark with their dual treat in "Believe" and "Kumori nochi, kaisei" which are both tied into larger visual treats in the movie production "Yatterman" and the t.v. drama "Uta no oniisan" respectfully. What's even more engaging about this double A-side release is that both productions stars a member of Arashi with Shokun in the colorful "Yatterman" and Ohchan in the drama series.

Whenever my Blackberry buzzes with excitement and I see an e-mail being sent by Cdjapan's "Upcoming artist" release subscription I always anticipate the possibility of an Arashi release being in there……….and being goo goo for them the other reason of importance would be that they're LE releases just go out of print soooooo quickly!!!!! (゜Д゜;) Literally within just hours of receiving these release alerts they sell out due to the overwhelming demand of fans and of course the occasional buyer who seeks to re-sell them on online auction sites. So such an e-mail arrived late (for me! XD) one night and while I had woken up to get some water from the refrigerator I noticed that familiar red blinking light beckoning me from my Blackberry….could it be?…….Arashi was calling me? And so late? I have to work early tomorrow! Those thoughts took all of about 2 seconds to register in my half sleepy mind.. (・_・) ………..and I realized that Arashi was indeed calling me to go back to my laptop which I had just layed to sleep for the night about 3 hours earlier~ ＼(^o^)／☆. This called for quick action and I totally forgot that I was actually thirsty to begin with and was soon online…………however, only LE type A and the regular edition were still available for pre-order……and in just three hours or possibly less Arashi's type B version was no where to be found! (;´□｀) I had lost again……..just like when "We Can Make It!" was released and in the wee hours of the morning I rushed in very much the same fashion only to find that another LE had indeed gotten away~! I was able to remedy the situation though back then by searching through Yahoo! Japan Auctions where it seemed that there were many copies of the LE  for "We Can Make It!" available, albeit for a much higher and exasperated price! (._.;)

So it seems that in order to capture that elusive type B edition this time around I'll most likely need to go about the same route to my much wanted "Believe" / "Kumori nochi, Kaisei" type B.

(Please note that both type A and Type B Japanese version singles are out of print)

Arashi's "Believe"/ "Kumori nochi, kaisei" regular edition can be ordered here from Cdjapan.

Arashi's "Believe/ "Kumori nochi, kaisei" RE Japanese version as well as Korean first press editions of type A & B can be ordered here at YesAsia.

Arashi "Believe"/ "Kumori nochi, kaisei" LE type A (back cover scan)

"Believe" / "Kumori nochi, kaisei" LE type A (cover scan)

And in case you're curious as to why I have such a "need" and excitement over a second LE version, it's very much due to the wonderful minds at Johnny's Jimusho whom tempt us fans with such extras as a different pv on each LE type~! Type A features the pv for "Believe"…the one with the real members as there's also an animated version out there too!….while type B includes the pv for Ohchan's solo "Kumori nochi, taisei" making both essential gets! ^ ^

And in a time when "Regular Editions" are tossing caution to the wind by remaining as anything but "normal' these days………..Johnny's Jimusho makes sure we're paying lots and lots of attention to their third in line productions, that being the inclusion of a bonus track on this "RE" which isn't available on either LE type A or B releases. XD Additionally karaoke tracks of all three songs are also included.

"Believe" / "Kumori nochi, kaisei" RE (cover scan)

….And then there's of course the allure of varied cover art work on all three editions where the "RE" has the most distict identity amongst the three (above). =) The black and grays against white give "Believe" / "Kumori nochi, kaisei" a most sophisticated look…..very cool and stylish~! The boys have each opted for a much shorter style this time and I think you'd be hard pressed to find them looking any prettier that they are here! ^ ^

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And can they dance?…you bet~~!

Arashi "Believe" pv

While Arashi truly has many many stylish videos in their catalog, "Believe" is near tops in sleek production combining the artful dance of Arashi seamless with beautiful abstract visuals throughout. The set is just purely amazing with a surreal environment planting a picturesque tree in a large indoor chamber complete with water cascading walls. And matching this most mesmerizing pv in "Believe" you'll find a most infectious song♪♪ filled with controlled angst….the violins draping a wonderfully dramatic cloak…..lyrics with conviction……a horn section for sophistication……shake in another intense Shokun self penned rap……..Arashi brings the rest~.

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Nino♥

Sho~kun♥

03 Tobira

Arashi

The RE's bonus track "Tobira" could have easily validated this as the world's (first?) triple A-side! Johnny's acts never seem to fail to produce wonderfully euphoric compositions such as "Tobira" ("Door")…….as the entire melody feeds off a most genki mood both in verse and choruses where easily the major hooks lie each and every time…….~♪♪"Makenai de someday!…"♪♪~. I'm always giddy for the good feel type songs and if I start each day with "Tobira" to wake to, sleepy early mornings may soon be much happier ones~…..＼(^o^)／☆. Now if only I could find an alarm clock/radio which will play♪♪ this each and every morning for me o(*´∀｀)o゛♥~.

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~Arashi's choreography is always intense and beautiful~

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02 Kumori nochi, kaisei

Arashi no Ohno Satoshi

Ohchan shines on the track "Kumori nochi, kaisei" which fittingly has a bright and youthful stage "musical" feel to it….and what longtime fans of Arashi have known for years is just how amazing of a vocalist Ohchan truly is~! And while the song's temperament is a bit too even throughout for vocal dramatics, Ohchan's voice is strong and impressive nonetheless~!

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~♪♪ ~

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The story of the crepe for Cake Day~!…..IW futatsu desu! ＼(^o^)／☆

For Cake Day!

Wow the year passed so quickly~ and with today marking the birth of IW and IW’s second birthday it was time for me to find the courage to eat some cake in celebration……..well I sort of found some courage, actually not really….well cake still scares me! (._.;) Anyone who’s familiar with me even in the slightest most likely knows of my fear or rather dislike of cake and sweets or desserts in general so in anticipation I’ve firstly taken a photo of a slice of cake…although this slice to the left was actually consumed by a friend about six months ago or so……not very celebratory I know! (・_・) When I was little there was a time when I would actually eat such sweets however it all ended abruptly one day when I saw on t.v. just how a doughnut is actually made!….. :o….and from that day forth I just couldn’t bring myself to eat sweets of nearly any kind and the “doughnut trauma” has remained with me since. Maybe there’s a doughnut fear support group for people like me……lol would I be the only one at those meetings though? (._.;)

So the moment of truth arrived today and it left me very nervous and uncertain of just how I should celebrate Cake Day properly…..
…………………………………………………

For Cake Day!

…so I considered ice cream for…..um Cake Day………(・c_・;)？ But that wasn’t working out. (・д・`*)!!
Note: No ice cream cones were injured in the making of this post, well not by me! (￣▽￣) I can’t remember the last time that I actually had any ice cream. Here I’m just holding “him” for a bit for this photo………sadly after I handed him back to my best friend…………….he hasn’t been seen since~ (;´□｀).

But then it hit me~! And something that I actually know how to make!…………..

For Cake Day!

…”Happy Birthday crepe~!” ………(゜∀゜)………。Seen here in its early stages………..oishiisou desu ka?…..

For Cake Day!

…however just when things were looking okay something became amiss with the cream it seemed~! (゜ロ゜ノ)ノ

Demo ne~…………………………

For Cake Day!

…じゃじゃんっっ！！！IW’s birthday crepe was somehow finished~! o(*´∀｀)o゛♥

However due to “someone’s” forgetfulness (shhhh she’s typing right now…(u_u*) ), (*sigh*…)…..I seem to not have any frosting to write with at the moment and I really should have realized this earlier today when I was out as there hasn’t been a cake baked in our home for years and years..(._.;).

Gomen ne~ IW, sore de………………

For Cake Day!

…..crepe ga, mou nakunatta…..(・_・)!

誕生日おめでとうございます　IW！！！

~Owari~
./_/.
(=’.’=)
(“)_(“)

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Japan Times interview….and the state of Hello! Project. ^ ^

H!P…"the house that Nacchi built…"

Momo (@ Momo's H!P Blog) sent me a recent article from Japan Times which I found to be an interesting read and look into the current state of Momusu, their attempted venture into the Chinese market, as well as some cute little tidbits on a few fellow members where the descriptions…'messy' and 'funniest' are matched to particular members…..lol I'm guessing most can figure out whom 'messy' is referring to before laying eyes on the article.

Aichan, Gakisan, and Linlin provide a short candid interview (translated here) and along with the inclusion of a brief history of the group and its incarnations a few other fascinating topics are touched upon. And with a managerial voice present for the conversation it adds a bit of extra insight into the goings on and direction in which the group has taken in recent times. Most notable for me was the talk about Momusu's push into China in their attempt to grow their fan base and possibly rejuvinate sales as of late where it is noted how 'pirating' has really hurt their profitability there and while this is something that one may have guessed as the outcome, it's just really disheartening to hear confirmation of this. And in a time when UFA/H!P is making a strong push into the Western markets and beyond with Momusu's set appearance at the Anime Expo in L.A. ( a most presigious event which will without doubt add to the group's visibility outside of Japan…although I think most know of their existence already in the states!! =) ), Buono!'s appearance in Stockholm!, and I'd gleefully add Berryz Koubou in Hawaii (..although this is an event exclusive to FC members so this one's not really included..(;´□｀)! )…..it's a really important time period for everyone in the states to hopefully show their support and I'm more alluding to sales in particular which has been the noted previous 'failure' in China just recently as noted by management in the above linked interview piece.

And while pirating isn't exclusive to any one region by any stretches of the imagination, I just really hope that the U.S. and in light of UFA's obvious realization that 'we're out here too as fans!' does well to show their support so as not to discourage further growth of UFA/H!P outside of Japan as they push for a move westward into our music markets…something that I'm guessing most of us have dreamed of numerous times since becoming devoted fans. Potential improved sales will not only show UFA/H!P that we are indeed 'out here too!' but it'll also in the process give them good reason and potential to further explore the possibilities of engaging us as true fans……..think IFC (International Fan Club! ………(゜∀゜)………。). And it's important to consider that Up Front Agency/International is like any other business, dependent on support as in sales, and in order to ensure that they'll be around further for fans to enjoy it's this type of support that will benefit both our favorite idols and ourselves the fans……hopefully lending itself to continuing the process of bringing them a bit closer to a neighborhood near you~. ^ ^ 

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Berryz工房 sheds their recent image with “Dakishimete Dakishimete”…Tsunku allowing. ^ ^

Berryz Koubou "Dakishimete Dakishimete" LE single (inner back cover scan)

Berryz Koubou "Dakishimete Dakishimete" LE & RE singles

For much of last year and perhaps beyond that time period Berryz Koubou although being the second flagship group under Momusu in age, has been releasing in some instances some questionable age appropriate songs while their "kouhai" C-ute is on a trend perhaps exactly the opposite as their overall image continues to mature at an excelled rate. And with Tsunku as the mastermind behind it all one may ponder on what exactly his agenda has been with BK as he seems all too reluctant to let go of their youth in this sense.

With that being said, Tsunku's latest offering to BK has alas broken these binds of youth….not to be worried though!…..the songs are still full of youthful charge, it's just that "Dakishimete Dakishimete" has shed the childlike aspect altogether which I'm sure some fans may have been puzzled about as of late. I may be a bit of a strange one for saying this, that I actually adored their somewhat "overly" youthful releases but this I also cannot deny. XD

Berryz Koubou's "Dakishimete Dakishimete" LE CD single w/DVD can be ordered here from Cdjapan.

Berryz Koubou's "Dakishimete Dakishimete" RE CD single can be ordered here from Cdjapan.

Berryz Koubou's "Dakishimete Dakishimete" pv DVD single can be ordered here from Cdjapan.

Berryz Koubou "Dakishimete Dakishimete" LE CD (cover scan)

While both "Dakishimete Dakishimete" and its coupling with track "sono subete no ai ni" present BK in their current light of age giving the group a much needed charge of maturity, it's the latter coupling with track that I find should have perhaps flipped the script on this single taking on the up front duties of the title track in place of "Dakishimete Dakishimete" (the close up version of the pv is embedded later).

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Berryz Koubou

"Dakishimete Dakishimete" does provide BK with a most lively and emotionally stirring mature performance full with thick synths which give a hint of Middle Eastern flavor underneath its almost rave like composition….and yet as much as I'm gravitated towards this song it's the coupling with track "Sono subete no ai ni" which I find quite superior. "Sono subete no ai ni"'s soft melody builds to a most sweet♪♪ ensemble style chorus both with most memorable and infectious aspects giving this beautiful ballad a lasting impression long after the track has stopped playing. And whether you have a distaste or love of Riichan's vocals I think it can't be denied that she gives 110% here as she always does as I think she simply shines in the pre-chorus vocal arrangements and while Celine Dion I imagine won't be giving Riichan a call anytime soon for a ballad collaboration :P…..I do have a most endeared liking of her voice. ^ ^ Ballads of this nature with their sense of granduer and anthem like qualities have always been a personal love of mines, and "Sono subete no ai ni" has already been inscripited into that ever growing list of ♥'s~. ^ ^

Berryz Koubou "Dakishimete Dakishimete" LE single (inner jacket scan)

Berryz Koubou "Dakishimete Dakishimete" RE single (inner jacket scan)

The styling is also indicative of BK's push for a much more mature image and if this holds true in their future releases then fans can brace themselves for a much closer song "battle" between BK and their younger H!P counterparts in C-ute. BK's outfits are very "Amazon" like on both covers and in particular I'm really loving both Kumachan and Riichan's wild outfits~! (´∀｀)

Berryz Koubou "Dakishimete Dakishimete" RE single (cover scan)

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Berryz工房 "Dakishimete Dakishimete" (close up ver.) pv

With "Dakishimete Dakishimete"'s accompanying pv DVD single not being released on March 18th I'm ever so grateful for the inclusion of its "Close up ver." being included with the LE single! Other extras on first press editions of both editions include event serial numbered cards which unfortunately means that I would have to be there to use them.

The solidly colored backgrounds add a nice contrast to each member's outfit and watch for some wicked looks and stares although Chiichan's are somewhat a bit more like sweet♥ "devilish" glances~…..

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…and Riichan's attempt at *fiery* can help but still be adorable……..I guess when someone adorable turns on angry or intense inevitably it's still ~♥cute♥~ in the end…(^q^).

 

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Ito Yuna’s “trust you” promotes “Gundam 00″ season two.

Ito Yuna

Ito Yuna "trust you" (first press single)

Ito Yuna returns to her smooth pop roots following her R&B powerhouse track "Koi wa groovy X 2" and for me personally I do prefer her more straightforward" pop sound to her much funked up releases which she often travels between in her releases.

When it comes to fun and upbeat tracks my preference would be something more along the lines of her single release "Stuck on You" which blended light R&B and dance for a much less "club" sound than "trust you"'s predecessor.

Ito Yuna's vocals continue to grow and impress and here with a mid tempo pop song versus an upbeat track, the natural nuances of the texture of her voice comes through a lot more with dramatic appeal especially in the title track's verse portions which are quite intricate vocal arrangements.

Another note about Yuna's vocals are just how unique and easily recognizable they've grown to be throughout her releases. And unlike a few of her pop/R&B fellow artists, Yuna's vocals haven't fallen through the trapfalls of mediocrity and over similarity, as hers would be instantly recognized over the airways of a radio on any given day.

01 trust you

Ito Yuna

"trust you" all the while no where near having a memorable melody impact such as her songs "Endless Story" or "Truth" to name just two, does have a sweet feel to it albeit it did take a couple of listens for me to fully appreciate its beauty. "trust you" is a theme song from the second season of TBS's anime series Gundam 00.

Ito Yuna's RE "trust you" CD single can be ordered here from Cdjapan.

Ito Yuna's limited press edition of "trust you" CD single can be ordered here from Cdjapan.

Ito Yuna "trust you" first press CD single (cover scan)

Gundam 00 character ID card (front scan)

While I do claim total unfamiliarity with the anime series "Gundam", "trust you" didn't strike me as an "anime" styled song……….or on second thought I do tend to watch way more light hearted and often over the edge wacky anime series than anything else so this point on missing it is most appropriately laid on me and my anime viewing habits. 😛

The first press edition includes a "Tieria" character ID card (right) and something that caught me by surprise was the absolute absence of Ito Yuna's image which oddly isn't found anywhere on this release….not even in the liner notes insert. And ironically if you purchased the regular edition you would have received a single bearing a beautiful image of Ito Yuna on its cover. The main difference between the two versions aside from aesthetics is the inclusion of an extra "Gundam00" version of "trust you" which only appears on the first press edition…however I do have a note about this track's playing time later in this post. "Gundam 00" is clearly the selling point being utilized here but when it comes to marketing genius I'm more likely to be pulled in by cute or glamorous covers….something which Ito Yuna clearly is more than capable of! (therefore the pretty Ito Yuna image at the top was my little attempt at beautifying this release while I dream about the image on the "regular" edition~…dou?) ^ ^

02 Brand New World

Ito Yuna

The coupling with track "Brand New World" is a much more upbeat number with a much more "house" styled rhythm and its lyricist Minami Shunsuke penned this song dominantly in English which also caters to Yuna perfectly. Upon initial listenings, "Brand New World" appealed to me a bit sooner than the title track did…must be that chorus! ^ ^

03 Koi wa groovy X 2 (-DJ-PASSION MORE PASSION REMIX-)

Ito Yuna

As has been the trend with Yuna's single releases, a predecessor gets the remix treatment…..and here "Koi wa groovy X 2" is presented as DJ PASSION's "MORE PASSION REMIX." This is truly Yuna's "diva" anthem of sorts and here the remix isn't overly done as sometimes (actually more often than not for me!…as I sort of have a long running distaste for remixes in general. (;゜□゜) However that's not to say that I dont' have my remix favorites as I do~!…they're just somewhat more hidden gems for me to find. ^ ^ ) they can be for me personally , leaving me with a feeling that's sort of like this…………….

Nani Kore?!! kono kyoku!! (゜Д゜;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

04 trust you (Gundam00 Version)

Ito Yuna

Track 4 is the "Gundam 00 Version" of "trust you" exclusive to the first press edition and I'm guessing it's an edit from the actual anime?….which may explain its brief playing time of only 1 minute and 29 seconds? But trading a beautiful cover of Ito Yuna (found on the regular edition) for a track which is less than a minute and a half?….I'm not sure what to think but perhaps if I were a true Gundam fan I would feel very differently then. ^ ^

Ito Yuna "trust you" CD single (booklet scan/ back)

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My very first Snuffleupagus~! XD

Snuffleupagus

This is for Danny…….you see he really does exist~! I promise he’s real~!…(^q^)

Demo ne~…Danny sends PMs here on VOX, oh and by the way he’s the one on the right (above)…not the left! XD

He’s really real~! I don’t just imagine him sometimes. 😛 Danny is really really furry!

♥~”Shugo Shugo!”~♥

Shugo Chara Egg! "Shugo Shugo!" pv DVD single(jacket scan)

"Shugo Shugo!" pv DVD single

The last time I truly had an Egg! induced dream was when Conan O'Brien paid my pc a visit via flashlight, operatic music, the dark & a vivid albeit very odd look into the "future." (._.;) Given that 2011..2012 are still quite far away it does however look that at least Maeda Yuuka, Wada Ayaka, Saho Akari and Fukuda Kanon are totally safe from "Conan's" outrageous visions which were revealed to me in my um….."Egg! induced dream." XD

I'm actually watching Shugo Chara's second pv DVD single before ever having watched their debut……and I'm now really regretting having not purchasing their debut like I really should have! (>_<); (heads to Cdjapan to remedy the situation!)

Shugo Chara Egg!' "Shugo Shugo!" pv DVD single can be ordered here at Cdjapan.

Shugo Chara Egg! "Shugo Shugo!" LE CD w/DVD can be ordered here at Cdjapan.

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Looking back at my first UFA official Egg! photo set it's just so amazing how much each member has grown since! It's almost as if the Fukuda Kanon pictured in my set was just a yolk back then~! XD The chemistry between these four chosen members is so natural and although this is just their second musical venture together the scenes from the making of clips really display a sweet bond between them……

…and it seems that Yuukarin and Akarichan are already making fun of each other's tendencies~! ^ ^

Shugo Chara Egg! "Shugo Shugo" pv DVD single (inner jacket scan)

Let's meet the members!:

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Each member in accordance with the anime series "Shugo Chara!" is matched with one of the four suits in "trumps" with…..

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…Maeda Yuukachan as the "Heart." Albeit that I've only watched this one pv so far it's definitely Yuukarin as my early favorite Shugo Chara Egg! member! There's something very "Momo-esque" about her~! She's like Tsugunaga Momoko's little sister…..although I do wonder who's actually taller right now~! XD Yes there's much less helium to speak of but it has more to do with her overall demeanor which reminds me so much of Momo. The "Peachy" one has a bit of company now! (*´∀｀*)♪♪ And wouldn't a special edition "Shugo Chara Egg!" playing card set be so perfect as perhaps FC merchandise?!

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Fukuda Kanon represents the Clover and her personality which comes off as much more mature than her years strikes me as very Maimai like and not only in her maturity which is really evident when you hear her speak on the DVD next to her fellow three members, but also in a sense her vocals have a special uniqueness to them which really stands out just as Maimai's vocals do~.

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Saho Akarichan represents the Spade and she looks so different from the UFA photo that I received awhile ago~! Kawaii deshou~! ^ ^

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And completing our suits of trumps is Wada Ayaka representing Diamonds~! It never ceases to amaze me how UFA scouts never fail at finding future talent and whether it be by means of auditions or……..hmmm how do they go about finding the others I wonder…….(imagines Johnny in a pararell universe going door to door in Japan asking to see what everyone's children look like as well as noting their parent's genes…………….:o …) that is quite creepy though! XD

Shugo Chara Egg! "Shugo Shugo!" original pv version

Above is the original version of the "Shugo Shugo!" pv and it's really the perfect blend of anime effects and simple backdrops coming together to bring the anime characters to life so to speak~. The after production animations and glittery effects really add a sweet visual touch throughout the pv and has a four unit youth idol group ever been this cute before?!! They all tickle me giddy~~(*´∀｀*)♪♪

Shugo Chara Egg! "Shugo Shugo!" (close up ver.)

Above is the Close up version…..

Shugo Chara Egg! "Shugo Shugo!" (dance shot ver.)

…and thank you~ for the inclusion of a Dance shot version!

The dance choreography becomes very very cutely mesmerizing after just one play and it's repetitive nature all the while simple (I use the term "simple" very loosely here though as I for one would take forever and a day to learn this dance I'm afraid and my bad coordination would come to light in no time! 😛 ) suits just everything about the song's arrangement so well…..just don't mention the word "simple" to the adorable Yuukarin~! XD………….

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…who encountered a bit of a dance rehearsal mishap…….awwww so adorable! XD

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Hmm…did I mention that she's my favorite Shugo Egg!! かわいいすぎた！！＾　＾ She is killing me with cuteness…(^q^)!!

The song's simplicity and while childlike in many ways is so infectious…..add in the most adorable outfits, very effective dance choreography which really impresses! and really the most engaging ingredient, that being the solid vocal abilities of all four members. I won't hold back here and say that in some ways these Eggs vocalize better than some of their much older fellow H!P members and just imagine that their voices haven't even matured fully yet so that's really inspirational when envisioning just how far their potential can progress even further in the years to come I imagine. ^ ^

 

It's all so kawaii~ and just every aspect of this release is sure to make you smile~ (￣▽￣)♥

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I'm so sorry..I couldn't control myself when taking screencaps!! XD

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Shugo Chara Egg!'s pv DVD single has an approximate running time of 22 minutes and in addition to the three versions of their "Shugo Shugo!" pv there's also the ever present making of feature which H!P and UFA brought to prominence many years ago…arigatou ne~! Just a few captures from the making of follow…..

…but as I can't help myself at the moment I'll include some ♥~Yuukarin~♥ first! ^o^

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And now we return to our regularly scheduled screencaps…..(._.;)

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Sometimes all you need is a warm fuzzy hug~!

O(´∀｀)o゛

We had a sort of a slumber party at my best friend’s house this past Sunday…….but there were only the two of us sooo I’m not sure if that really constitutes a party actually. 😛 I’ve mentioned her before (she’s known as the pretty one when we go out together =P ) and we’ve known each other since early elementary school…..lol she’s the one that’s constantly tickling me whenever I get “out of line” with her!..(._.;). And it’s totally 100% unfair that she’s in no way ticklish so I have no way of getting back at her……………hmm unless, I post a photo of her here~!..but then she’ll tickle me to death I’m afraid…..(゜ロ゜ノ)ノ!!

I love sleeping over at other people’s homes (that sounds sort of funny though….I mean other homes where I know the people living there! XD ) as it always means there will be actual real *beds* there………(゜∀゜)………。♥ You see I’ve been sleeping on the floor, well a futon or mattress for the past let’s see ummm…………..I think at least 7 years or I think it’s a bit over 6 years now but anyway it’s been since we moved from my childhood neighborhood and then we rented for about 2 years and then we ended up here. Does that make any sense at all? (._.;)??? When I went hiking on one of our neighbor islands a few years ago the friends I stayed with of course had real *beds*!! And then when I had a bit too much merlot one night I slept over at a friend’s house and he had real *beds*…okay that only happened once! Once, recently. XD But when you’ve been sleeping on the floor for a great part of your life you come to appreciate real *beds* like nothing else…..but that’s not to say that sleeping on a fluffy futon is all that bad which it isn’t and my room is one of only two carpeted rooms in our home so it’s actually quite comfortable and cozy…..makes me feel like I’m living “traditionally” in Japan at times though. XD If only we had bamboo flooring…..(*sigh*).

My best friend’s room is completely wonderful~~! and it’s filled with lots and lots of plushies, some of which are very very large!!! O_o!! I’ve always dreamt of having a giant unicorn plushy in my room……I don’t know why but I really want one~! (*´∀｀*)♥ A classmate of mine had one and ever since then I’ve wanted one too….that’s not too original but I’m sort of simple like that. XD So my girl friend has lots of cute bears…..actually it’s almost all bears in her room…like me wanting a giant plushy unicorn she’s been really focused on bears it seems and her boyfriend buys her the most giant ones as you can see!! O_O Some of them are almost the same size as me I’m afraid to admit~! XD..but my favorite has to be her giant plushy doggie♥! When I was little we first always owned dogs but then when we first moved they didn’t allow pets there so they couldn’t come with us…(;´□｀) and now we’ve come to own cats today….funny I don’t know why that happened as usually I think most people are either dog or cat people as they say. =) I’m a dog/cat person…(^q^).

But back to today’s topic of upmost “importance!”…..real *beds*, so hers are actually covered with plushies of all sizes and I have no idea how she even finds the space to sleep in there but somehow they don’t leave her bed and yet she’s most comfortable with them surrounding her it seems. O_O I was a bit shocked though as I really needed to (discreetly) remove a few of her furry friends from the guest bed as it was beginning to feel like I was somehow married to several large fuzzy animals at the same time…(・д・`*)..and if you’ve never attempted to sleep on a bed filled with plushies I suggest that you try it at least once for a little while as it’s somewhat surreal……lol and if you have a wacky imagination like mines it’s even stranger….as you too can be temporarily “married” to giant plushies~! 😛 It didn’t end well for me though as early the next morning I was awoken by one of the worst ticklings of my life as it seems that my said friend wasn’t all too pleased with me sending some of her “precious family members” to the floor for the entire night while I slept in “their” bed (;_;). She totally scared me and then I fell off the bed when the tickling started……(*sigh*…)..and now I have a quite large bruise on my left hip!  (´⌒｀。) The price of comfort. XD

But her real guest *bed*…….it was so wonderfully comfortable ………(゜∀゜)………。I’m officially jealous! XD Okay I was officially jealous years ago when I first slept over when we were in high school but I haven’t slept over in awhile so it really rekindled that jealousy…..no I mean “feeling.” 😛 My favorite plushies are Dino and Snuggles………..does anyone have any favorite bedtime fuzzy counterparts?…..lol not including your husband! 😛 And do guys sleep with plushies?…just curious! =)