Berryz Koubou is a girl pop group formed in 2004 by the evil geniuses who brought you Morning Musume. I'm not sure whether they qualify as an idol group in their own right quite yet, but there's no denying that they're popular - singles regularly reaching the top 10 in the Oricon charts - as well as gaining footholds with international J-music fandom; they're slated to perform in America for the first time at Sakura Con in Seattle at the end of April. Those of you who aren't familiar with Berryz Koubou but are familiar with Morning Musume probably already have a pretty good idea of what this group sounds like; those of you who don't know either group can form a good approximation of their sound by imagining sweet Japanese girls in cute outfits with rainbows and sparkles and ponies flying out of their mouths as they sing.
(Artist's impression)
As you can imagine, this isn't exactly my type of music. About a third of the album is saccharine to the point of inducing opening-the-Ark-of-the-Covenant-style face melting: should I ever listen to this album again, "Bomb Bomb Jump," "Girls Times," and "Onna no Power" are all getting the skip for this reason. Another third of the album tends toward the bland: "Maji Bomber!!" "Masshiroi Ano Kumo," and "Shining Power!" fit into that category easily, and will also get the skip if they ever cross my path again.
But the final third is actually pretty good. "Icchome Rock" (the opening) and "Magical Future!" (the ending) are catchy and fun with surprisingly good musical qualities for a girl group that relies more on sweet smiles and cute costumes than singing or dancing ability. And even better than these two are "Heroine ni Narou Ka!" and "Joshikai the Night," both of which I'd be happy to play again. "Heroine ni Narou Ka!" actually got a mini "squee" out of me when I first heard it: it has a bit of a retro electronic sound, kind of like the music you'd hear from a DDR machine, and the old school feeling expands into both the primary and backup vocals as well. The whole song feels like the opening song for a magical girl anime, and it's easily my favorite on the album. "Joshikai the Night" takes a close second with a similar electronic, anime opening-style sound. I don't know why I'm so attached to the songs that remind me of being a dumb kid whose biggest wish was to make out with Tuxedo Mask, but there you have it. Overall review: I doubt I'll be replaying the album again unless it's to pull out "Heronie ni Narou Ka!" and "Joshikai the Night." Both of which are likely to, embarrassingly, join regular playlist rotation.
*Point of interest: my husband, who (supposedly) likes bands like Korn, Slipknot, and Slayer, loved this entire album except for maybe one song. So, I guess the lesson here is that Berryz Koubou has the power to melt brains as well as faces. :\
I have a (possibly unreasonable?) searing hate for PUFFY. It's not complicated but it is incredibly shallow: Ami from PUFFY is married to Teru from GLAY. But before they were married, Ami was the woman that Teru cheated on his first wife with.
Yup, Ami's a homewrecker.
(I blame Teru just as much. What a bastard! But he certainly can sing...)
Also, I found "Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi" unbearably annoying.
What a dumb couple of reasons to hate a band, right? I hate these girls! I wasn't looking forward to forcing myself to sit through this single, because I was certain that it would induce life-threatening projectile vomiting.
But it's good! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The only way I can save face is by saying that their music isn't quite my style - it's more classic rock than I like, and slightly too cute for me, but damn it, I can't deny that it's good. My favorite song is the live track "Gingakei Drive." I usually hate live tracks, but this one doesn't have the same problems with background noise that most live tracks do, and it's a really creative use of multiple genres.
Sum up: I hate PUFFY even more now - for making music that I like. D:
Happy One Full Month! Although there have been some bumps in the road, I've made it for 31 full days! If I can make it this far, I can do anything!
So maybe now I should stop labeling the day?
Yeah. I probably should.
Sadly, I was supposed to review three different CDs today, and I couldn't get my hands on one: KAT-TUN's "Ultimate Wheels." I've seen the PV and I'll say that I (surprisingly) like the song itself, but I can't very well review the single on the merits of just one song. Sorry! Here's the PV though, for your consideration and enjoyment:
Kaggra - Hyakkikenran
"Hyakkikenran" is a perfectly serviceable rock album, but nothing all that special. My biggest problem with it is that it's just light - light on rock flavor, light on visual flavor, light on Asian flavor, light on strength. The music is fine, but there's nothing that stirs me up or makes me want to dance or move or even pay attention to it. Need background music for a party? Assuming your friends like rock, "Hyakkikenran" is perfect. It would provide background noise that sounds good and might get the occasional head bob, but won't interfere with conversation. And it sure as hell won't inspire people to suddenly start dancing in your living room - no spilled drinks or coffee table-related injuries! Woot! But if you want something to listen to because you want to, I don't know, listen to some good music... Well, "Hyakkikenran" just doesn't fit that bill. Sorry.
Koda Kumi - POP DIVA
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but when "POP DIVA" came on, I instantly got excited. Darn it! I didn't want to like this single, didn't want to like anything by Koda Kumi. Kumi, after all, is known for being nothing if not uber-classy. Here, check out some of her lyrics:
"Throw everything away and be free / I want your hot spray"
"So baby take me, lick me with your tongue
Do it real well, make me say (Yes! Yes! Yes!)
Deeper and then deeper still
It’s S E X, come on"
"I want another climax
One more time, one more time
Let’s do it again and again, all night
We don’t need time out
So do, do, do me all night until the morning comes"
Yup. These aren't lyrics from anything on "POP DIVA," but they do show why I don't want to like any of Kumi's music. (I like sex as much as the next girl, but these lyrics are kinda gross. I mean, "Hot spray?" *shudder*) But damn it, "POP DIVA" is good! It's catchy, strong, well-constructed/mixed/produced, and Kumi's vocals are right on. The PV goes places that I never expected from a mainstream Japanese female artist. Even the instrumental is good - repetitive, but perfect for dancing to. Thankfully for my conscience, "BLACK CANDY" isn't nearly as good, and neither is it's instrumental - they're both classic B-sides that won't see the light of day again until a best-of anniversary album comes out. Whew! If I'd liked an entire Kumi single, I'd have had to question where my life was headed.
Trying to catch up! For your reading pleasure I have reviewed Kuroki Meisa's album "Magazine," 9mm Parabellum Bullet's album "Revolutionary," Chiaki Kuriyama's single "Cold Finger Girl," and Sakanaction's album "kikUUiki." Let's do this!
Kuroki Meisa - Magazine
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I've talked about Kuroki Meisa before, and the one thing about her that I just can't handle are the repetitive choruses. Sure, they don't ruin the song. Not quite. But I just don't want to run around for the rest of the day with an urge to scream "SAY ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE!" at strangers. But in "Magazine" Meisa moves away from her tendency to go over the top with annoyingly catchy choruses, and instead strikes the perfect balance with them. You can listen to these songs, get to know the chorus in about two seconds and sing along, then the song obligingly drifts out of your memory so that you have room for rational thought. Outside the choruses, the music is good: dancey and electronic. She loses her way for a few tracks starting at "SHOCK -unmei-" where the music suddenly becomes disjointed and hard to listen to, but by the time you get to "LOVEHOLIC" it's back on it's way up. I liked a lot of the songs, but I think "CELEBRATE" was probably my favorite. Definitely good for a listen.
9mm Parabellum Bullet - Revolutionary
I love how hard the rock on this album is. I've noticed that it can be hard to find J-rock that's just rock without being too poppy or too emo or too visual. Not that I dislike those genres! Love them. But sometimes, just like I said in my Straightener review you just want no frills rock. "Revolutionary" delivers. Although I don't like it quite as well as I liked "STOUT" (the Straightener album), it's great. The music is fun to listen to, energetic, and keeps up interest through cool background sounds (twisting metal in "Cold Edge"), carefully constructed and deconstructed intensity ("3031"); and effects ("Black Market Blues"). No two songs sound alike - which is a plus over "STOUT" - but I didn't find the bass as strong. Strong bass is my cherry on top, and your song can be great without it, just not awesome. There was great work on the drums and guitar, though, which help close the gap for me. I'll definitely be looking up more 9mm Parabellum Bullet.
CHiAKi KURiYAMA - Cold Finger Girl
Oh my god, you guys, I want to like this single so much. The music is great! There's good work on guitar, drums, and bass, and I like Chiaki's slightly scratchy voice. Jaylee on GK said that she sounds kind of like Shiina Ringo and I totally agree. The music has that quirkiness that makes Ringo's music so much fun to listen to and which is so hard to achieve. Of course, Jaylee gives the caveat that she sounds like Ringo if Ringo didn't know how to control her voice. ... Yeah. Sadly, some poor artistic choices just freaking ruin it. "Cold Finger Girl" itself starts out really well - it's a "groovy" song in that it grooves and makes me want to dance - but on the second verse she brings in a man to sing with her and his voice competes with hers in a very unflattering way. He's leveled louder than she is so that it's like a duet, but their voices are too close in range to make it work. Then, after the hook, she brings in some scratchy, off-tune whistling. Uh.... No. The instrumental is better than the vocal track until the whistling, which is somehow even worse in that track. The "Level E" opening version is the best version of the song: no whistling, and the man's voice is leveled way down, making it so much better, but because it's a show opening it's shorter, which is a fail in itself. "Getsumen Nanchakuriku" is good, though, so that's something. Good try, Chiaki. Just, next time, do me a favor and don't ruin your perfectly good song.
Lord almighty, did I miss three days in a row??? Life!!!! *shakes fist at the heavens*
The only way I can describe this album is "epic." No, not in the internet parlance way that just means "awesome, dude!" but in the classical way that means "heroic; majestic; impressively great." The styles and instrumentation completely change between songs, from Midnight Syndicate meets Trans-Siberian Orchestra title track "Red Moon," to the Spanish-flavored "Hikari no Senritsu," to the electronic "fantasia," to the "Arabian Nights" feel of "Yami no Uta"... You guys, I don't think I've heard this many kinds of styles since Bennie K's "The World," and on "Red Moon" they're frankly more solidly performed. And instrumentation! Instruments are heard include but certainly are not limited to real strings, tubular bells, xylophone, flute, piano, and more Indian instruments than I could competently name. Add the great variety and well-composed music to the strong vocal performance, and you have an amazing album. Much like many of the albums that I've been impressed by on this blog, I doubt that this is everyone's cup of tea. But you'd have to be crazy not to recognize that this is great music. My only complaint is that it's pretty hard to groove to. But, on the other hand, great to dance to! Love, love, love.
"Gloriosa" certainly isn't what I was expecting based on the name. (Look, just get used to it. It'll be easier for your mind in the long run.) I mean, "Gloriosa?" It's a hip-hop title if I ever heard one! But instead, Kamiki Aya dishes out the rock on this album. Although it's nothing that's high musical art, it is fun to listen to. There's some solid shredding on "Fly Away," some rock with synth on "Satisfaction" and "Lost In The World," solid drum work that makes the song on "Truth Needs No Color." Of course, it also has it's issues: most of the songs sound really similar, and not in the "all this is so hardcore that I have trouble distinguishing one hardcore thing from the others!" way, like I experienced with Straightener. The only real departure in style is "Pop-eyed fish," which has more of a classic rock feel, including a piano. Also, I've been spoiled by the vocal quality of the past few albums I've reviewed. Aya's voice is good, but it's not fantastic and it's a little muddled through the entire album. Still, even with it's little problems, it's a thoroughly enjoyable and I'll be coming back to it when I need some girl rock.
I'm so much more impressed by the album selections than I was the singles selections! "GOLD" is wonderful, like no other hip hop I've ever heard. In his review of the album, Jaylee says that "'GOLD' really does everything it can to raise the bar not just for J-Urban music but for Japanese music overall." I read that and had a hard time believing it, or that I'd be able to tell. I mean, I'm a pretty plebeian when it comes to music; you've probably noticed that a lot of my reviews are "This is good because I like it!" and "This is bad because I don't like it!" I try to not to be facile about my choices, but I don't really know a lot about how music is created and produced, so my likes and dislikes are all that I have to go on. That said, this is definitely a different kind of hip hop than I'm used to. Good different. JASMINE works in so many different, interesting things - from uncommon instruments to melding in different genres - that the music is far from the boring sugar pop that you get from Nishino Kana or Koda Kumi. Every track has something to recommend it: "L.I.P.S." is a sexy song that doesn't go into the "gross" range like a lot of American music has been doing for two decades, and is a bad habit that Japanese music is picking up recently. "Bad Girl" mixes in a strong rock feeling, even using electric guitars, to give it a much harder sound than bass alone could. "dear my friend" uses all kinds of uncommon instruments like harpsichord and sitar. But even if none of that does anything for you, the vocal quality is unmatched. JASMINE sings so sincerely and passionately that she makes you sit up and listen. Even if you don't like hip hop - hell, especially if you don't like hip hop! - you'll probably love "GOLD."
Thank god I was wrong yesterday. "CHANGE MYSELF" is a delightful album from track one. My husband and I listened to it literally 5 or 6 times in a row - we heard it come to an end and loop, and decided that we didn't mind listening to it again. We decided this at least 4 times. When I listened to it myself, to take a closer listen to the tracks for this review, I was sure I'd find something about the album that would change my mind - some annoying little bit of instrumentation or some annoying musical trick or just flat boringness. But none of those happened. I could have played it again and been happy.
The essence of what makes this album good is that it sounds fresh. I know that's a word that gets tossed around a lot in the music industry, especially the Japanese music industry, and it seems to have all kinds of meanings: "novel," "interesting," or simply "new." And although those words apply here, that's not the "fresh" I'm talking about. I mean fresh in the same sense as in "a breath of fresh air" or "fresh cut grass." Each song is poppy and electronic and light, and it should sound like every other album of pop out there but it somehow doesn't. It sounds like dew on budding flowers, or dappled sunshine on grass, or falling autumn leaves, or new fallen snow. I don't mean to wax poetic here, but it really is tough for me to use regular words to describe the sound of the album. It's otherworldly. It flows between pop styles, each song light as a bubble, even the ones with strong bass. My favorite is probably "CHANGE MYSELF," but every song has merit. There are no mediocre tracks, and certainly no bad ones. The best thing I can suggest is to listen to it. Just like Noanowa, it might not be your favorite style, but you'd have to be crazy or lying to claim that it's bad.
(Sorry for the partial PV. I can't get a full version from Youku to load on the blog for some reason!)
*Gah! Another assignment that comes with more than one disc! Just like with Superfly's "Wildflower," I have no intention to reviewing a million tracks if I don't have to. My original assignments were to review all the Top 5 GK albums and singles, and Jaylee specifically listed the mini-album as his pick for #5, so that's what I'm reviewing.
If this album sets the tone for Jaylee's Top 5, I'm excited for the next four days. This album is gorgeous. As can be assumed from the title, the songs are fairly soft and sad, but rather than being just-another-R&B album, "Regrets of Love" is truly wonderful music. Each song has lean instrumentation, instead focusing on Miho's voice; most tracks have no more than a drum machine and some synth strings and piano to back her up, letting her voice shine out and carry the song. It's the best choice she could have made - it would be a crime to smother that voice with any music, good or bad. (It even has the power to completely mitigate the annoyingness of Chara's voice! That's practically a superpower!) She's expressive and hits every song exactly on target - every single song will give you goosebumps. I don't think I could pick a favorite if I tried.
*Note: I'm an idiot, and listened to Arashi twice and even 95% wrote the review before I realized that I was supposed to be reviewing karasu today. (It's really been one of those days.) Since all the work for it is pretty much done, I'm leaving Arashi in today, and will be returning tomorrow with karasu. Sorry for the mix-up!
Before I get to far into this review, I have a confession to make: I'm one of those people who doesn't want to like the things that are popular. I like to think that popular music is bad before I've listened to it, and then don't listen to it, because it's bad. Yep, you caught me. Take me to the firing squad - I'm a pretentious ass. But before you shoot me, know this: I'm also the kind of person that likes all different kinds of music, and I tend to forget that things become popular for a reason. All the marketing in the world won't make crap sell. (Case in point: the conspicuous lack of crazy Japanese inventions among actual Japanese consumers.) And although what's popular might not be my favorite genre or my favorite band or the most artistic work or the most intelligent, that doesn't make it bad.
Arashi perfectly illustrates both these points: I'd never heard anything by boy band Arashi, and I never wanted to. They and AKB48 literally held all ten of the Top 10 Oricon Singles spots for 2010, and that was enough to tell me that their music had to be terrible. But in the spirit of listening across genres (and, frankly, because Loki recommended it - he tends to like the music I do), I listened to this single. And it's good! Loki's right: it's just fun and easy to listen to. Much like AKB48, it has the "overvoice" ("WE ARE ARASHI. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED.") which is a particular pet peeve of mine concerning modern Japanese music, but other than that, there's not a lot wrong with it. It has some rock elements, some pop elements, some synth, some real instruments, and just a good sound. There's even a xylophone, for god's sake, and a delicious lack of chimes. Even the "karaoke" track isn't that bad. It's not as good as, say, the instrumental tracks for HALCALI's "ENDLESS NIGHT" or Kuroki Meisa's "5 FIVE," but it's not something I'd skip in a playlist if it came up, or turn off at a party; it can stand on it's own two feet. My biggest problem with this single is that it didn't come with any other songs, and when you consider that the list price on this is 1100 yen (about $13.42, at the moment) that's just a rip off, I don't care how good the song is. Sadly, right now that's the only way that you're likely to get it.
alan x Fukui Kei - Ai ha Chikara
I was not expecting what I got from this single in the least. First of all, it's a one-song single, which is pretty uncommon in and of itself. Then, the music starts. Uh... What? I strive to listen and write across the genres of Japanese music, but I didn't expect to encounter this grand, operatic style at any point during my activities for this blog. I guess it just goes to show that even when you think nothing about Japan will ever surprise you, they have another surprise. The style is truly operatic and classical, sort of like "Time to Say Goodbye" from Andrea Bocchelli - very strong vocals from both singers, and solid music throughout, apparently played by a full orchestra. In addition to very clearly not synthesized violins, there were also upright basses, brass, and harps parts. Although it wasn't what I was expecting, it the song is still very good; however, you'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth the buy, because this music is not up everyone's alley. (Then again, what is?)
Goto Maki - Gloria
This is an absolutely great album. I was surprised by it - I had assumed (from her name, what a shock) that she was another pop singer like Nishino Kana. Instead, the album is light on the pop and heavy on the rock, though it's not heavy rock. The only song that I'm not in love with is "Ashiato" (the only true pop song), but that's not to say that it's a bad song. Actually it's a good song, but when compared with everything else on the album, it just doesn't shine quite as bright. It would make a lovely A-side for some single; even as the "worst" song on the album, it's still that good. In terms of what I liked best, though, I think it's a tie between "Koi Ichiya" and "Fake." Or maybe a tie between those two and "Hanataba." Or maybe a tie between those three and "Age Kyoku." Did I mention there are only five tracks? Seriously - this album is solid all the way through, and every song is good enough that it could stand on its own. My only real critique would be that she's a little heavy on the chimes, but they only appear for two songs, so I don't know that the critique would be fair. Worth both a listen and a buy.
Monkey Majik - "Sakura"
Although I don't know a lot about them, I've pretty much decided that Monkey Majik is (for me, at least) the Japanese equivalent of Foo Fighters or System of a Down. No, not musically! I mean, I have never yet heard a song of theirs that I didn't like. "Sakura" is no exception. The title song is a ballad with piano, strings, acoustic and electric guitar... But it isn't whiny, which is my chief problem with the Japanese music industry's obsession with ballads. (Dear Japanese Music Execs: I know X Japan proved that ballads can be awesome. But that doesn't mean everyone's ballads are awesome.) The cherry on top is the PV - a must see. Although it's not my favorite (that would be "Change" feat. the Yoshida Brothers), it continues to prove that Monkey Majik can do no wrong. "With you" is also good - acoustic meets synth in a genre that I am having trouble pinning down. Listen to it. You'll know what I'm aiming at. The only track that I'm less than thrilled with is the acoustic version of "Sakura" on track 3, and that's no fault of Monkey Majik's: the song is still just as good acoustic. I just happen to feel that acoustic versions tend to be CD filler. I'm not sad that I got to hear it acoustic, and I would be quite happy if to hear the acoustic version live. But putting two slightly different versions of the same song on a single is just not cool. Save it for a "rare collections" disc or something. It's better marketing, anyway!
Before I go any further, I need to explain that I'm only reviewing the "Track 1" sections of this single, and will not cover the best-of album or "Track 3" single that's attached to it. That would be almost 20 tracks, and I just don't have that kind of stamina yet.
I wasn't expecting a lot after the "Superfly" PV that I reviewed for GK awhile back, but I was pleasantly surprised. Every track on this single is upbeat and easy to listen to. There are none that I dislike. They have a good sound, they're all solid rock with good instrumentation and vocals, and they're all toe-tappers. I wouldn't say that these are my favorite songs I've heard so far - I prefer something rock with more complex guitar, or something that's a little more dancy - but all the tracks good. I especially like "Tamashii Revolution," which has both traditional rock guitar with brass. It's a great combination that makes it really stand out from the usual rock faire. It feeds into "Free Planet," which has a similar style to "Tamashii Revolution," just without the brass. Definitely good for a listen.
I'm completely in love with this single. It's the best I've heard so far: the music is bassy, synthy, and chill, and all four tracks are good. And when I say "all four," I really am including the instrumental tracks. That's right: the music is good enough to stand up on it's own, even without lyrics. I was shocked by this single from the first note, because the last (and, incidentally, the first) thing I heard from HALCALI was "Rouman Hokou," which is a mess, no matter how you slice it. (I even hate the PV.) I could listen to this entire single on endless loop all day, and I don't think I'd get tired of it. Okay, maybe throw in a single rotation of "LOVE is." and "YEAH YEAH YEAH" from MiChi to break it up. But then back to "ENDLESS NIGHT." Although I haven't heard the other selections for GK's top 5 singles or albums, I'll go out on a limb and say right now that this is my #1. Seriously - if there's a better single or album than this, I'll die of music-gasm before I can write about it. Big kudos to HALCALI: with "ENDLESS NIGHT" you've taken me from wishing you'd disappear off the face of the planet to actually looking forward to your next CD.
I love me some PVs. And I hate me some others. Let's figure out which by having them fight for my affection! Who doesn't love a good old-fashioned battle to the death?
RADWIMPS - DADA From: "DADA" / Release: 1/12
Fun with kanji! As I first started to watch this video, I was afraid that it would turn into a copycat of Sakanaction's "Aruku Around" video (which, as good as that video is, a copycat would not be welcome), but I was happy to find that I was wrong! Although some aspects are similar, the entire video is different enough to be novel. The band plays the song while screwing around with various kanji that are in the lyrics. They hold them, throw them, kick them, put them into piles, kick the piles... Along with a greyscale color palette and a curiously non-cheezy use of a negative filter, the entire thing was a blast to watch. The song is also great - solid rock. Add the PV to the song, and you get a PV that actually made me interested in buying the single. (Sadly, I couldn't make embedding work for this video, but you can see it here.)
Jounan Nokaze － Bakuondan~BOMBERMAN~ From: "Bakuondan~BOMBERMAN~" / Release: 1/12
I want to like this PV. The style is set up like an animated manga, where the camera moves back and forth along animated manga cells, and the narration of the story is told through word bubbles. It's a great concept visually because it's different enough from everything else out there that it sets itself apart and is memorable, and it also keeps a lot of visual tension going so that you don't want to look away from the screen. The lyrics are mixed into the narration of the story strongly so that in your mind the music and PV reinforce one another, making both even more easy to remember. Honestly, if I was writing this review in Japanese, I think my only complaint would be that the animation at the end leaves something to be desired. But since I'm writing in English, I do have another complaint: you must have an understanding of Japanese to get everything out of this PV that you should. From a Japanese marketing standpoint, this is fine; from a worldwide marketing standpoint, this is stupid. Although I'm sure that no potential fans are being alienated from the band, it doesn't make it any easier for us to like them or the song, and actually makes us feel a little excluded. Otherwise, a great PV with good music.
NICO TOUCHES THE WALLS - Diver From: "Diver" / Release: 1/12
For every rule, there is an exception. For PVs, the rule is that if 95% or more of the time is spent on watching the artist perform, the PV sucks. The exception to that rule is this PV. This PV is gorgeous: the color palette is blacks and blues, and the band keeps up visual tension by projecting different flashes of imagery behind them and changing the camera angle regularly. I don't know if I have it in me to express how good this PV is to watch. You'll have to see if for yourself.
Yuzu - HeyWa From: "HeyWa" / Release: 1/19
This PV almost proves the "band playing the song" rule outlined above. However, a little more happens in this PV than just us watching Yuzu strum their guitars: we also get to take a look at various objects strewn about some kind of forest/desert/wasteland/wonderland, and watch a little girl wander through it, get hit in the head with an acorn, find a 3-1/2" floppy, and hand it to a robot. There's some implication that this is a world of peace where weapons aren't needed, but it's hard to tell from there whether technology is also not needed, or if it's humans that aren't needed. It's also not clear if the robot is as confused about the use of 3-1/2" floppies as the little girl must be, though I can only assume it is. Although there's nothing wrong with this PV, it's not particularly interesting either.
Galileo Galilei - Boku kara Kimi He From: "Boku kara Kimi He" / Release: 1/19
It's hard to know how scary Japanese people can be until they stare at you like you're a dirty foreigner who needs to just get the hell out of their country before they mob you like a bunch of expressionless zombies and crush you beneath the weight of their extreme racism. If you want to know what that experience might be like, take a look at this video. I'm sure that's not what Galileo Galilei was going for, but that's sure as hell what the wound up with. I honestly don't remember the music (other than a vague recollection that it was pretty okay) because I was so focused on how scary all those people were, and how much one of the band members looks like an ex-boyfriend of mine.
HIROKO - GIRLZ UP~stand up for yourself~ From: "GIRLZ UP~stand up for yourself~" / Release: 1/19
A negative portrayal of Americans?! I'm partly offended and partly intrigued! HIROKO is an office girl who has to deal with an immature, lazy, fat American boss, while apparently doing all his work for him. He chows on candy bars and donuts while she snacks on diet pills. Judging by the name of the song, you'd think this PV is all about how she single-handedly takes over the company and makes it twice as successful as it had been. Or at least how she hands him the most strongly-worded letter of resignation he's ever seen. Nope. She just keeps working for him, while executing some killer dance moves and sporting sweet sunglasses that I'm sure she borrowed from Lady Gaga. The visual elements of this PV are awesome - the color is sharp and pretty, the outfits are good, the dancing is flawless - but the plot elements leave much to be desired. I want HIROKO to kick her boss in the face or stage a coup, but instead she does the exact opposite of stand up for herself and continue to be a slave. Lame.
Lil'B - Daiksuki Da Yo
I'm probably endangering all your lives just by posting this video. You know how some people say that something is so sweet that it gave them cavities? Well this video is so sweet that it melted my entire head off. Seriously, don't even open this unless you want to personally experience what it would be like to open the Ark of the Covenant. Rundown: girl has a crush, so the magical beings (made entirely of sugar) that live in her pompom cell phone strap come out to make the boy fall in love with her. Complete with flowers, and hearts, and feathers, and badly animated Cupid arrows. And clones. Endless sugar fairy clones. You've been warned!
I was really surprised by this PV. French Kiss is a side project of three of the members of AKB48, and the music is very similar: pop that's tarted up a bit with some synth. I've never heard anything by them, but I assumed that it would be the same drab stuff that AKB48 produces. And while is very similar in style, but I found that (at least for this song) I liked it a lot better. I can't really put my finger on why. The music was energetic, and just synthy enough to be interesting without going over the top like T.M. Revolution has a tendency to do.
The PV itself is also surprisingly good. The three girls make a pact at the beginning to talk to the boys they like. It sounds so stupid and simple, and I guess when you get right down to it, is. But despite the simple concept, it's well-executed. Although I do speak Japanese, you don't need to understand the lyrics to understand the plot - always a plus for Western fans. Here's the story: the girls work on various schemes to encourage one another to talk to their love interests, and they're all so endearing that you can't help rooting for them. They make their pact together, they fail together, they make videos together so they don't have to profess their love in person, and in the end they all succeed together. Hooray! Girl power! The three girls also take this PV as a chance to display the differences between each of them; a rare opportunity for girls whose main gig is a 48-member group. Yuki is the normal girl who likes a douchy-looking guy from class, Asuka is the nerdy one, and Aki is into classical Japanese archery. Although the girls are practically clones of one another in terms of looks, these little differences help differentiate them a lot for the viewer. The dancing between scenes isn't spectacular, but it's good; same on the outfits. Although I can't say that this PV is a work of art, it's at least enjoyable and fun.
Just took a look at the Oricon daily singles chart, and guess what's beating out three different AKB48 singles to take #1? A CD called "Toire no Kami-sama." Translation: "God of the Toilet."
It's by a woman name Uemura Kana, and it looks like she only just debuted this year. Beating out AKB48 is no small feat, but I can see why it happened. The Japanese are suckers for anything toilet-related, and anything nostalgic. Mix the two, and you apparently have musical gold.
Berryz Koubou is a girl pop group formed in 2004 by the evil geniuses who brought you Morning Musume. I'm not sure whether they qualify as an idol group in their own right quite yet, but there's no denying that they're popular - singles regularly reaching the top 10 in the Oricon charts - as well as gaining footholds with international J-music fandom; they're slated to perform in America for the first time at Sakura Con in Seattle at the end of April. Those of you who aren't familiar with Berryz Koubou but are familiar with Morning Musume probably already have a pretty good idea of what this group sounds like; those of you who don't know either group can form a good approximation of their sound by imagining sweet Japanese girls in cute outfits with rainbows and sparkles and ponies flying out of their mouths as they sing.
