Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Take a Break with H!P

This will most likely be my last post for April. The dreaded exams are looming *cries* Because I was putting off revising, I ended up stumbling on vids from the two latest H!P concerts. I couldn't help sneeking a peek and tada~~ I realized it was impossible for me to not purchase the DVDs. Sigh, my poor pocket and bank account.

Here are some of the perfs I couldn't stop rewatching.

KameMame Suki, Suki, SUKI~~! Er...yes you too Ai-chan :P

How can Risa and Eri be so perfect in every way?? Their voice, looks, dance, personality...basically everything, EVERYTHING, about them is perfect <3




Smexy to the MAX. Someone please turn up the airconditioning? It's getting hot in here *fans self*




Super upbeat and addicting song with Koharu and the JunLin. Nice starting there by the MM girls and XD at Ai-chan's expression and :D at Eri's adorable face. I have to say, Koharu was mighty cute in this perf. And boy did she nail that super high line *Impressed*




MM's Naichau Kamo. Need I say more?




Same as above. It's MM! What complains could I have? :P




BUONO! doesn't get enough love in my blog. Which is a pity cuz I love these girls. They are my top 3 H!PKids. Besides, Co.No.Mi.Chi is a great song ^^

Monday, April 20, 2009

Musume Academy: Shouganai Yumeoibito

The HQ version of the new PV is finally out. I was expecting to only see it during the first week of May. Have H!P PVs always been released so early in advance? Anyway, after viewing the clearer video, I am all the more convinced that I LOVE it! I actually took screencaps of the PV. Is that a miracle or what? XD The number of caps each girl got doesn't signify my adoration level for them. It was largely dependent on how many pretty looking scenes I could grab :P

For once nobody looks bad in a cover. This is the normal edition btw. All of the girls have stunning smiles and hair shiny enough to shoot a shampoo advertisment. The details about the 2 LE is, they come with different versions of the PV. My guess is one will be a close up while the other an alternative version. Possibly in their various outfits and not the white/cream dress which will be in the dance shot version. I wish this single came with a PB edition. It should be epic.

Ai-chan

First thought that appeared in my mind when I saw Ai was "Q.E.D!" Doesn't her hair resemble Kanna's? Did UFA want the audience to be reminded that she was the lead actress in the drama? Or did they think that she looks younger with this hairstyle? For some reason, I think Ai-chan would have looked tons prettier with her hair let down or tied to the side. Ai looks much better in the close up. See, it's the hair that messed up. The ending bit of the PV was almost like Onna ni Sachi Are with Ai's extended face shot. I like her denim jacket.

Gaki-san

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Gaki-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!!!!!!!! Sugoi kireii!!

Her hair and clothes are perfect! I can't believe Risa looks so awesome. Or should I say, I can't believe the company gave her a decent image. Gosh, her striped shirt, tie and sweater practically screams college girl. Though I think a lighter colored pair of pants would have been more suitable, I can't really complain since Gaki-san looks nothing less than incredible <3 Oh, and is she wearing the same jeans as Kame, right down to the way they folded them? Damn, seeing Risa makes me wanna run my fingers through her tresses :P

Eririn

There is no denying that Eri is a beautiful girl. And this video really proved that. Although Risa's outfit was more schoolgirl and Eri's could be something any young woman going shopping would've worn, I somehow still got a university student vibe off her. In my mind, Eri would be the quiet studious type who hides in the library all day reading by herself. One other thing that got me all hyped up is, they put her in a cardigan! The Eri character in my fics tend to be dressed in a cardigan cuz I feel it fits her. Whatdyaknow, apparently someone in the wardrobe department thinks the same way :D

Shige-san

I think Sayumi wins the award for making me forget to breath the most number of times. I have to congratulate the lighting guy for doing such a good job of making Sayu look creamy white. Her skin is so pale and enticing that it plays off her raven dark hair and eyes wonderfully. The off shoulder dress and her expression didn't hurt either. Sayumi was totally channeling the kind of "you-know-you-want-me" feel she gives off in her photobooks. In other words, it kills the viewer instantly.

Tanakacchi

Reina is like the unofficial "bag girl" XD Why is she always the one carrying a bag? Remember her leopard print handbag in Resonant Blue? I liked her purple plaid one-piece. Not many people can pull off this color but its obvious Reina has no problems there. The way the front of her dress was flipped open is such a tease! It made me er....nothing....I better not type that out :P I will probably never understand why Reina doesn't leave her hair down more often. She definitely looks ravishing when she does. When she appeared like that I was left shellshocked. That image of her was that dazzling.

GAKIKAME/KAMEMAME/RISAERI

In my fantasy world, Eri asked Lin Lin for Risa's schedule so she could wait for her at the elevator to kinda "bump" into her. Tee hee hee, doesn't that sound likely? And Kame seems rather happy herself. Look at how sweetly she is smiling :D I'm not very sure if the person Eri is talking to in the 2nd cap is Risa cuz it looks like some of the mystery girl's hair is tied up. And I can't see from Gaki-san's caps whether the back of her hair is done like this.

I'm really lost on the finger biting thing. I get that it's a good way to get people watching the vid riled up, if you know what I mean XD Even I got somewhat hot under the collar when I saw it. But what has that got to do with the song? Is it mentioned in the lyrics? I wonder if everyone bites their finger except for Ai. I guess I'll have to wait till the dance shot gets released to find out. Oh and OnDiet said KameMame were biting their fingers cuz they were starving XDD

Group Shot

If these 9 girls were in the same course in university, I bet noone is that cohort would graduate. I'll be too mesmerized by them to pay any attention to the lecturer XD


Koharu-chan

In the blurry LQ version of the PV, I thought Koharu was wearing a lab coat XD Initially I guessed she was an associate professor or teaching assistant. Thank goodness for the dohhh up PV. Now I can tell she was in fact wearing a blazer. Kinda strange that UFA dressed her up so maturely when she's just 17 in 2009. I don't like the hair but Koharu's still pretty in the close ups so I can live with it. Her running scene made me LOL. Clearly she can't emote that well but most idols can't anyway.

Mittsui

Is this the first time Aika colored her hair brown? I can't recall if she did it in Pepper Keibu. Nevertheless, I'm positive Shouganai Yumeoibito is gonna be her break out song. Nice outfit, it portrays her outgoing personality very well. Watch out for Aika during the dance shots. She had extensions and man, were they remarkable! Not everyone can look good with both short and long hair. I think Aika is a great example of someone who can. Keep your eye on this 8 Gen-ner. She's gonna rock your socks off in no time.

Jun Jun

The whole theme of this PV had the girls in normal clothes and light make up. I really liked Jun Jun's black and white jacket. It hints of slight sportiness but is still within the feminine range. Isn't that exactly her personality? Hmmm, what else, oh right. In the close up, it pretty apparent that Jun Jun can look okay without make up. What I mean is, she won't be the type to scare you silly should you see her on her day off.

Lin Lin

It's funny how although Lin Lin has the nicer features, it's usually Jun Jun who comes out prettier in videos. Is it the hair, the clothes or what? Nonetheless, Lin Lin is a funny girl who isn't afraid to show her crazy side. That's why I quite like her. To tell you the truth, there isn't anyone I don't like in the current line-up. That's why it's so difficult for me to rank them. Because us fans already know Lin Lin is a nut case XD we can't really imagine her as an introvert. Yet from her screencaps, she's rather believable as a shy person.

JunLin

These 2 are cute together. I could see them as a dating couple :D Jun Jun is the boy while Lin Lin the girl. Awwwww, makes me feel all mushy inside ^^

Friday, April 17, 2009

7+ Years of Secrets

Why such a strange title? The reason is I'd expect Ai and Risa to know a lot about each other after spending so many years together as best friends in MM. (Let's ignore the fact that there are 2 others in the 5th Generation XD) Stuff including each other's likes, dislikes, pet peeves, secrets and coughahemstuffthatexcitesthemcough.


In my opinion, TakaGaki started out not because the two of them gravitated to each other due to similar tastes. It was probably more a case of having no other choice since Makoto and KonKon hit it off so well. I don't mean the monkey :P and bean pair aren't close with their fellow 5kkies as it's pretty obvious Risa is good with Mako-chan while Ai is the same with Asami. It's just that everyone needs a BFF so to speak and TakaGaki found that someone in each other after getting thrown together.


Yet, I don't think their relationship is built solely on convenience. With time, you can see from random clips and pictures that the girls are comfortable around each other, which in a way proves their closeness. The rare ocassion where either of them talks about the other is a real treat for me since I thrive on getting glimspes of my favorite pairings. I have a top 5 couple pairing (CP) ranking on which leader and sub-leader is definitely in top 2 position. Plus, there is the added bonus of discovering new trivia that a fan wouldn't know about if the girls didn't let it out themselves.


I've learnt things about Ai like how she's a picky OJ drinker, not in her best element in the water, tends to let slip from her mind their scheduled dates/outings, doesn't answer/reply to Risa's calls/messages cuz she forgets to turn her cell phone on after switching it off, feels embarassed if people see her crying, etc.


As for Risa, I now know she is always beside Ai, supporting her as the ever reliable and hardworking friend/sub-leader. She shares Ai's troubles, provides a listening ear and is basically there whenever she is needed.


Because it's mostly Risa who talks about Ai instead of the other way round, I have to hear about Gaki-san from Eri or Sayumi. Perhaps this is why KameShige have slowly but surely made their way up my list of MM girls.


Although Gaki-san seems to hang around Kame a lot more these days, her little actions shows she still thinks of Ai and worries for her. MM Alo Hello 3, when Ai started screaming like a kid after the float caved and the whole gang fell into the water, Risa was there with her in an instant. She probably knew about Ai's hydrophillic traits and wanted to be there to console her. How about Ai's uneasiness during RnK? Risa was with her too, accompanying her through the night and convincing her that she'll do a great job with her role as the lead character. Oh, and let's not leave out the surprise birthday appearance at nearly midnight on Ai's 21st birthday at her house. I'm sure there are many more examples which I've left out but I think it's clear what I'm trying to convey. Ai and Risa care for each other in a way which may even exceed that of best friends.


I don't know if it's just my mind thinking up bizzare scenarios but I get the feeling that Ai no longer acts as nonchalant towards Risa as before. It's the expression in her eyes when she looks at her, the way she smiles at Risa and her quickness at backing her up or assuring her that she's ok. Case in point, the idol audition in Taiwan when MM went on as guests, performing RB. When Risa got all flustered at acting out her two 'action poses', Ai immediately yelled out "Kawaii x2!" Then there are all those HM@ episodes where Ai watches 'Art-O' theatre or Risa's solo Korean gig. She almost always has this cute and blissful smile on her face. And who can forget the infamous Ai undressing Risa with her eyes clip XDDD


I can't exactly say when this shift from Gaki-san placing more emphasis on Ai-chan changed to one with Takahashi being the more "loving" partner. But to me, I feel Ai has realized Risa is drifting away from her and hence subconsciously, she is trying to get her back which translates into her behaviour on screen and in real life.


After so much rambling, I just want to end with this line. For me, adoring TakaGaki is one of the best parts of my MM fandom and no matter what negative people/anti-fans might say, I sincerely believe that they share something special. There is a bond binding them, one which transcends seven years.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

A Prelude to #39

When MM's new single releases on the 13th of May, you can be sure I'm gonna be blogging about it. I've only heard a short preview (thanks to the very kind OnDiet) and I ADORE it already! I can't stop putting it on repeat <3 Shouganai Yume Oibito, doesn't the name itself sound appealing XD I guess it's pretty obvious the enormous extent of my love for their 39th single :D


Amazingly, I quite like Reina's singing in it. That is if I put the correct voice to the right girl. Sayu doesn't sound too bad, Ai is the same as always and the amount of lines Eri has is a pleasant surprise. EHHHHH, Gaki-san only got one line? *pouts* And maybe the harmonizing portion? How could they shaft her?!??! The Blasphemy XDDDD I'm kidding here, I'm not the kind to go on and on about the unfair treatment in line allocation. I'm just happy to be able to hear Risa sing and hopefully watch her on live performances. They have GOT to get on live shows. Those mean producers and what-nots NEED to invite MM. I hate that they can't show they wonderfulness in terms of singing, dancing, personality, humor, beauty etc. to the Japanese public :(


I hope Kame gets as to show off her incredible dancing skills to go with her parts in the song. I can totally see a hawt and smexy Eri taking centre stage *daydreams*
I'm going off to enjoy myself with more listenings of this song. Suki~~



Edit:

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!! The LQ version of the PV is out and I can't freaking hell view it!!! *wails* Since when was stupid YT so efficient in taking down stuff. God I REALLY need to see it. From the screencaps I saw Risa was damn gorgeous!! That tie and hair *falls over and dies* Of course Eri was super pretty as well but Risa AHHHHHHHHHHH Gaki-san!!! What happened to all your chubbiness? It disappeared @@

Someone please upload the PV somewhere that is not megavideo. A really kind fan did it there but for some reason I can't load it:(

Friday, April 3, 2009

KameMameHa~~!

Why the random GakiKame entry? Because it's my birthday and I wanted to blog about something I love. Yeah, I know there is absolutely no relation among the two :D So sue me? Kidding here, don't bring me to court as I'm just a poor MM fan XD



The best news I've heard all week is GAKIKAME returning. I'm not sure if they are gonna keep their old name as the radioshow is on a different channel now. It's taking over Nacchi's timeslot if I'm not wrong. Enjoy the subbed vid of the 2 crazy girls promoting their new assignment.

Thanks to 86turbos who did the translation. It's fans like that which make the H!P fandom world such a great place ^^

And now for some random KameMame loving <3
Though TakaGaki and KameShige too are awesome pairings, these 2 are like a chemical reaction that combusts spontaneously. Their chemistry cannot be denied and hilarity is almost always ensured. I adore watching the 2 dragon ladies together (Read: Born in 1988) and how they behave around each other.

Don't they just look so cute together? Turtle x Bean power forever!!